Do me Good
by saylyra
Summary: EC all the way! Is there going to be a "happily ever after" for Eric and Calleigh, after she broke her news to him? This is going to be the last chapter, please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

So they had finally done it

_Okay, this is my first attempt to write fan fiction. I have planned this as a multi-chapter fic…_

_This chapter is actually just a try out, it is not beta-d and I just hope to get some responses of any kind that'll help me continue and improve. _

_All character recognized from _CSI:Miami_ are not mine._

* * *

So they had finally done it. They had spent their first night together. Actually, if she thought about it rationally, it had been long overdue. She lay beside him, in his bed and couldn't help but feel completely content. For the first time in months or maybe even it years, she felt free and optimistic. A smile crossed her face, when he turned around, now facing her and murmured something unintelligible in his sleep. He was only semi-awake but tried nonetheless to pull her closer to him. She responded immediately when she felt his hand on her lower back, she shifted closer to him and brought her hand to his cheek. With her fingers she lightly stroked his face; with her thumb she traced the outer lines of his lower lip. He sighed contently, still not reacting consciously.

"This was not just a dream," he whispered sleepily.

"No," she responded softly, "I'm here, we're here. Together." She leaned in closer to delicately kiss his lips.

It was not even dawning yet, but she felt wide awake and well rested after only a couple of hours of sleep. Her smile grew bigger and she let her thoughts drift back to the past few hours.

* * *

She had just wanted to drop by, to talk, well if she was brutally honest, she had hoped for more than just talking but anyhow, in her head it had sounded quite convincing, that she had come here, to his place to talk. Lately, Calleigh's head had been full of constructed sentences and excuses, so she was determined now to straighten everything out. Get it out clearly, voice her emotions without making things complicated or more complicated than they would be anyhow.

So she stood in front of his door, not allowing herself to chicken out of her plan and rang the doorbell. She was quite certain that he would be home that night because he had mentioned something about a quiet and lazy evening and weekend to follow. She tried her best to appear calm and poised.

Although it was barley six o'clock, Eric opened the door wearing just plaid pajama pants and no shirt. He looked at her surprised.

"Hey Cal." He greeted her friendly but nonetheless he couldn't keep his astonishment about her visiting him, without having it announced, out of his voice.

"Ehem, hey Eric, I was just, I wanted to….am I interrupting you, something…I know I didn't call to warn you I'd be coming over but I thought you mentioned something about having no plans for the night…," she stuttered, due to her pre-existing nervousness but nevertheless also due to the fact that she was staring directly at his naked chest.

He failed to suppress a light chuck when he realized where her eyes were pointed at.

"You're not interrupting anything, I was just about to do my laundry, linen and stuff, you know, so the t-shirt went into that machine as well." He grinned at her.

He knew that something was off, something was going to happen, and he debated with himself for a moment if he should ask what was up with her but decided against it. Calleigh hated being pushed or pressed into a corner, she would tell him what was on her mind sooner or later and if not, he could still try to get it out of her. So for the time being, he decided to lay back and…well enjoy her, being in that weird flustered state.

"Oh, okay. Well if you're not busy, I was wondering if we could talk." It had taken her quite some concentration to get that sentence out so fluently, she was still a bit distracted by his physical appearance. She scolded herself to get focused.

"Sure, why don't you come in and get comfortable," he stepped back from the door to let her inside his apartment and pointed to the living room," I am just going to get a shirt."

When he left the room, she breathed a sigh of relief and focused on concentrating again. He came back properly dressed and wearing a smile, offered her something to rink, which she gladly accepted and joined her on the couch after having gotten two bottles of beer from the refrigerator. She gladly accepted the beer, let alone for the effect to keep her hands from fidgeting.

* * *

And after some of the awkwardness had passed, after some extraneous small talk, Calleigh had finally found her courage to talk. She had decided to be honest with him and tell him her reasons for her behavior in the last year. Why she hadn't given him a chance but instead had turned to Jake.

So Calleigh tried to get Eric to understand the situation with Jake, as far as she had figured it out herself. She tried to explain to him the reasons why she had started seeing him again. How she had felt comfortable with the familiar side of Jake and how she had felt unthreatened by him because she already knew that it would be easy to keep that relationship from going to deep. She told him flat out that she had told Jake it was over. She also made no secret out of the fact that she was not fully invested in that relationship because her mind was on him, on Eric.

Although Eric loved to hear that she was actually interested in him, he needed more information to comprehend the whole situation during the past months.

"You know, it was just nice that he kind of knew me or at least a younger me." She answered when he asked her why she had gotten involved with Jake.

Eric was confused by that statement and wanted clarity. He was pretty sure that if Calleigh had come to talk, they could talk about everything truthfully, without having to hide their intentions and emotions.

"Okay, but what I don't get is why did you get together with him in the first place, I mean were you lonely or bored or what. I mean I was there, too, at that time, and I had made it clear that I was interested in you. You did not even give me the chance to tell you how I felt and what I wanted from you. You told me that you didn't even know how you felt about him and the all of a sudden you are making out with him in the lab and going on that little love-trip with him," Eric was becoming slightly agitated.

"I know, I mean I don't know what I was thinking. I guess I was lonely and he was there, but only in small doses. So it was a pretty good arrangement, for me at that time. But that's not what I really want. Eric, I was so unsure about that whole thing between you and me. I was so afraid of starting something with you and then messing it up. I can't seem to work relationships. You are way too important to me, what if…?"She was starting to become upset, her voice quivered slightly.

"Oh Cal. Listen, I obviously am not an expert in relationships and I do understand you, at least some of it. I am also afraid of messing things up with you and you are too important to me to just give it a halfhearted try…but we both…want that to happen, I mean we want us to happen, don't we?" He looked at her intensely, waiting for her reply, fearing a negative response.

Slowly she lifted her head and looked him in the eyes. "Yes. Eric. I really want an 'us'. But I can not loose you as my best friend. I can not have this relationship not work, what happens with work, with us when I screw this up?"

"Why are you so convinced to screw this up? I mean I know some of the guys you've dated and I know that most of those things did not work out. But Cal, we're in this together, it is so important for both of us, we just need to work on this really hard, together…and if it doesn't work out we have to be strong enough to try to be friends again. I promise you, I will be there for you no matter what." He scooted closer to her on the couch because by the time he had finished his little speech Calleigh had started to cry. He gently took her into his arms and softly stroked her back.

Carefully he tried to comfort her, wanting to know what he had done wrong.

Calleigh enjoyed his embrace, the warmth he emanated. So she was able to answer him soon.

"You did nothing wrong," she tried to suppress a sob. "Actually you are pretty perfect." Now she was able to find his eye contact again. A small chuckle escaped her:" O my gosh, look at me. I don't know when I broke down in front of somebody like that. It must have been ages. I don't know why I am getting this emotional. Unusually I have myself better under control…"

"Hey, you don't have to have yourself under control when you're with me. I want to get to know all of your sides, even when you are a crying mess," he joked to lighten the mood. "But still. You are the most beautiful crying mess I've ever seen."

She blushed slightly, looking at him again.

"Eric," this came out as a mere whisper," I think I love you".

Now he was completely stunned for a moment. Ever since they had sat down to seriously talk, he had hoped, hoped for an honest discussion about them as a couple but he had not expected a confession like that from her. As soon as he had realized and processed what she had said he couldn't help but feel utterly happy, after all that seriousness, after all those months of pining and waiting, he had her in his arms telling him what he had not even dared to dream about.

He leaned forward slightly, closing the remaining distance between their faces. Then he waited patiently for her to lean in closer to. When he felt her move closer to him he touched his lips to her softly. She responded immediately, opening her mouth to his touch. They started kissing hesitantly at first. He was pleasantly surprised when he felt her taking control. She climbed on his lap, took his face in her hands tenderly and their kiss grew more passionate.

When he was finally able to form a conscious thought again he slowly broke the kiss. Smiling at her, running his fingers through her hair, he finally told her that he loved her, too, had in fact loved her for a very long time.

When he saw her reaction to his words he vowed to himself to make this happen, he silently promised her that he would do everything to make her happy.

* * *

_Okay, so I guess I am going to update soon as I have most of chapter two already planned out…_


	2. Chapter 2

_Okay, chapter__ two turned out quite differently than I had planned but I guess it will work out somehow. It might be a bit confusing but I promise it'll make sense sooner or later, just keep reading…_

* * *

It all had started about a month ago, she still had no clue where it had come from but all of a sudden Calleigh had had some kind of epiphany. She had met up with Jake and told him without further ado that it was over. He had not been very surprised as the last few months of their relationship had basically existed of empty promises, postponing dates and him being absent for weeks at a time due to his work. He admitted that he was actually surprised at how long she had held on to that relationship while he was away, not fully committing.

She on the other hand did not mind at all not seeing him during that time, because for her this relationship had been an excellent excuse for not having to deal with Eric and what he really meant to her or even dealing with herself and her inner turmoil. So she had kept the 'thing', how she had referred to her relationship with Jake, in those past months, casual. Casual sex, casual dinners, casual feelings.

Although Jake had not been surprised he still tried to convince her to stay with him. He smiled at her, wiggled his eyebrows and reminded him of how good certain aspects of their relationship were. Granted, Calleigh had not been immune to his charm and persuasions before, so she cut him some slack, when he tried it again.

"Cal, don't deny it. I mean, think about it. Before my last assignment, what was it, ten days ago, when you came over, and boy, you were pretty pissed at me for leaving again…if I remember correctly you were the one telling me that you are in it, if just for the sex."

Although he was presenting her her own shortcomings on a silver platter, a thing about him she absolutely despised, Calleigh's response was much milder than she had anticipated it herself. Jake had not been so wrong with his statement, she had been in this for the sex only for the last few months. It had been better before, she once had really enjoyed his company, the reminiscing. And even talking with him about her cases and his work and so on but lately all they had done was meeting up to have sex every once and awhile. They knew each other well in that respect. He knew what she liked; she didn't need to tell him, it was easy and comfortable.

This had worked for her until that morning about a month ago. So far she had been busy with work and more or less busy with her relationship, those factors were the perfect premises of having not to deal with said feelings for a certain co-worker. Who, by the way, had been nothing but nice and obliging towards her. He had kept up his flirty but friendly attitude towards her, still dropped sometimes more, sometimes less subtle hints about his feelings towards her and was still able to be her best friend.

But exactly that behavior had made it difficult for her to keep up the pretence. He was constantly in her head, she woke up with him on her mind, went to work, hoping to run into him, hoping to be assigned to the same case as him, making sure they could have lunch together and so on and so forth.

He was perfect and did not demand anything from her; she was not willing to give.

That was probably the reason why she finally had plucked up the courage to go to him, to face him, to tell him she loved him and finally to allow herself to be happy.

* * *

After Calleigh's and Eric's first kissing session on the couch, after they had uttered their first 'I love you's', they had both been on a never before known high.

Although being reasonable was the last thing on Eric's mind, he pulled back from Calleigh's lips and tried to bring some physical distance between them to discuss a few more things. He had gotten a satisfying amount of answers from her concerning the thing with Jake and was glad as she told him that Jake had once again packed his things a few weeks ago to jump at the opportunity to go back to being undercover, on a mission that was designed to last at least three months. So that in any case was something they wouldn't have to deal with right away.

But the important issue to discuss was how to deal with work. Both of them knew that an intimate relationship between the two of them was against the rules and both of them knew it would be nearly impossible to work on different shifts and keep seeing each not just sometimes in between.

They discussed the pros and cons of telling H, and finally came to the conclusion to keep it secret for a while, to just enjoy working together and seeing each other privately and then, when they had figured out things, when their relationship had had the chance to grow, they'd meet up with H and discuss their options. Both of them were aware of their importance in their respective jobs and were pretty confident, that one way or another they'd be able to work together and maybe not as close as now and be a couple.

After having discussed that, Eric prepared a light dinner for them, which was greatly appreciated by Calleigh, as she had not eaten all day long due to her plans for that evening. Soon they were back on the couch again, in the same position as before, with Calleigh straddling Eric's lap.

They were not able to let their hands from each other and soon the couch had proven to be too uncomfortable for their progressing making out session. When Calleigh tried to get rid of Eric's shirt rather unsuccessfully, he stopped her yet again, to ask her if she was sure to let it progress even further.

She smiled at him: "I think we both have waited long enough for this. I really want this to happen right now…I mean…we are clear about things, so I don't see why it shouldn't happen now."

He resumed kissing her, and then picked her up to carry her into his bedroom.

* * *

_Ok, so now I have planned to get more into detail about Calleigh's and Eric's first night together.__ I might move this to M, but I am not sure yet if I can actually write smut…_


	3. Chapter 3

_I decided to just go for it __and __voilà__ here it is: My first M rated chapter!! Hope you like it…_

* * *

When he picked her up, to carry her into his bedroom he felt her chuckle lightly.

"This is pretty cheesy, don't you think?" She grinned against his neck.

"What?" He asked slightly confused, he had been distracted by her kissing his cheeks, chin and neck, that he had no clue about what she was talking about. Or why she was suddenly giggling, while he already had trouble concentrating because her body was pressed so closely to his, with her legs wrapped around his waist.

When they had reached the bedroom and he had put her down on his bed, he raised his brows in question and asked again: "What is cheesy?" He joined her on the bed, distracting her with small kisses along her neck and jaw line.

"You", she practically moaned as he started licking and sucking his way down to her collarbone.

"You, being all chivalrous and romantic. Carrying me into your bedroom, so damsel-in-distress like.

Fantasy of yours?" She joked.

"I'll show you fantasy,"he moaned against her neck. Soon she was reduced to whimpering and moaning only, when he continued the assault of her neck and chest. He let his fingers skim along the side of her curves and lazily played with the trim of her shirt. He softly stroked her down her back with his other hand, which made her spine tingle. When he felt her searching his mouth, he responded immediately, kissing her passionately and letting himself fall into her, letting himself be surrounded b her scent, her embrace, just her.

Soon they started yanking on each others clothes. Both of them were getting more impatient by the second, trying to get rid of the cumbersome garments. Eric was the first in succeeding of pulling Calleigh's shirt over her head. The whole thing didn't go over very smoothly.

The shirt got stuck on her head and she had to help him pull it over her head completely.

When he looked at her, embarrassed, she just smiled, took care of his button-down shirt, and resumed kissing him. Eric kept on fumbling clumsily until he gave up sighing and right out asked her to please undress herself. She was quite taken with his nervousness but still appreciated the way he had just straightforward asked her to get naked. She really did not know why, but she took delight in the way he had formulated his request.

After Eric had uttered his request he was not too sure about how she would react to it. But soon he was awarded for his forwardness. He made a mental note and decided he would try out how outspoken she would be in the future, he had a feeling that she would share his fondness of a bit of dirty talk or voicing their preferences when it came to sex.

Calleigh got up from the bed and stood right in front of him, enjoying the attention. She unhurriedly pulled up her camisole and then proceeded unbuttoning her jeans, wriggling out of them enticingly. Slowly she opened her bra and slipped out of her panties. She seemed amazingly self-confident and secure, when she stood before him, gloriously nude, beautiful and just breathtaking. He was so in awe, he just could not stop staring.

She smiled at him:"Better?"

"Uh huh", he whispered. He tried to focus, really hard. He was actually rather puzzled that he had suddenly turned into a gawky teenager again. Sure he had dreamed of that moment for ages but still, she was not his first woman. He had had his share of experience…but this was different. This actually meant something. This was not just about getting laid.

"Calleigh you are beautiful", he told her when he had actually found his speech again.

Then he pulled her towards him again. She bent her head to kiss him. He continued showering her with his lips and soon descended in direction of her breasts.

Eric was incredibly affectionate. He started kissing the valley of her breast; he took his time moving unbearably slowly to her right breast. Calleigh wanted more, she whimpered softly, trying to direct his head to the desired spot.

Eric, having gained new confidence, since the undressing dilemma, chuckled against her soft skin, but soon obliged her unspoken demand. He started licking and sucking her on that spot and mimicked those movements with his fingers on her other breast.

Calleigh's nipples grew hard and that turned Eric on even more, he sucked even harder as she tried getting even closer his mouth.

Calleigh could not believe how aroused she already was, she felt as if she was ready to combust any second now, and when Eric's lips travelled further south a low moan escaped her. She had to cling to his shoulders with both of her hands, by the time his tongue had reached her navel.

He carefully slipped one of his hands between her thighs and slowly moved it upwards until he reached her mound. He slightly grazed her folds and could feel how wet she already was. He continued kissing her; still moving further south with his head until he reached the place his hand was stroking her lightly.

When he felt her knees getting weaker, he motioned her to get back on the bed with him. She lay down next to him and he took the opportunity to kiss her again, fully on the mouth.

"Calleigh, you are absolutely breathtaking, you know that? I can't believe that we are here, together." She now lay beneath him, cheeks flushed, hair wild, her eyes so deep green, like he had never seen them before.

She just smiled and tilted her head to kiss him in response. "I really want you, Eric and for that, you are way overdressed, so just get rid of those pants, they seem to get to tight anyhow…aren't they?"

Instead of waiting for his response she started unzipping his pants and helped him to get rid of them along with his boxer briefs. He shrugged them off, turning away from her, when he was done she had fully expected him to return back to her side but instead, he placed himself down at the end of the bed, grabbed her ankles and pulled her towards him. A small cry of surprise escaped her lips.

He placed a few kisses along her inner thigh.

"What are you doing, Eric?" she asked astonished.

He just grinned and told her to stop him if she did not like what he was about to do.

He desired to taste her. So he slowly kissed his way up to the apex of her thighs.

He started kissing and liking her folds in a pace that was so insanely slow that she had the feeling she'd die before she would ever find release.

She was panting, her head was spinning. She wanted more. He finally touched his tongue to her clit and she was getting more aroused by the second, her moans grew louder and her hips were gyrating.

Again he took his time, teasing her, drawing soft circles along her sex with his tongue. Then he started to lick his way to her opening and back to her clit again.

He could honestly admit to himself that he had never enjoyed teasing a woman that much. He had never taken so much pleasure in going down on a girlfriend as with her. He loved her taste. He appreciated her wetness. He knew it was time to intensify his hold on her.

When he finally added a finger and then two in her opening Calleigh couldn't help but beg anymore. "Please, o my god, Eric please."

"Please, what?" he stopped his oral assault on her just for a moment.

"Make me cum!" she ordered. He had known that she would be outspoken!

But he was still so taken by that statement that he couldn't deny her, her release any longer. He liked and sucked her clit harder and faster, while moving his finger in the same rhythm within her body, finally hitting that spot, he had been looking for. When her hips shot up from the mattress, he pushed her down with his free hand and increased his speed and pressure on her clit.

She came with a scream and he slowed down his movements and helped her riding out her orgasm.

When she had calmed down a little, she pulled himself up to her, kissing him, tasting herself on his lips.

When she let go of his lips she just smiled at him.

"That was wow, o my god Eric that was great", she told him dreamily, still a bit out of breath.

"I couldn't agree more, you felt so beautiful beneath me…" he agreed. She blushed slightly at that compliment and started running her hands down his back until they reached his butt cheeks. Gently she scratched her fingernails against his behind. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer until she could feel his erection fully against her thighs.

"Eric, I want you inside me, now", she demanded as she felt his hard length impossibly close to her entrance but not nearly close enough. When he didn't respond immediately, due to the fact that he was occupied with concentrating on not cumming right on top of her, she took the chance to flip him over on his back, without delay straddling his hips when she was on top.

He didn't even have time to wonder how that tiny woman on top of him had managed to change their position when she took him into her hand, stroking him slowly. She pushed her thumb to his tip, and teased him with a circling motion.

She clasped her fingers around his erection and unhurriedly worked her hand up and downwards.

"Eric…protection?" she asked while still holding her grip on him. He pointed at his dresser: "Top drawer."

"Be right back". She quickly got off of him, flashed him a wicked smile and hurried to the dresser to retrieve a box of condoms; she took one out of the box, opened the small tin foil package and within seconds resumed her previous position, sliding the condom on his pulsing member.

Then she lowered herself onto him, quickly sheathing his cock with her hot wetness. Both let out loud moans when he had finally entered her completely. Calleigh soon started a fast rhythm that Eric matched with every move. When his breathing got increasingly more laboured, she took his hands to massage her breasts. When she moved her own hands between their bodies to touch herself, he almost couldn't take it anymore. With all of his willpower he tried to hold it in and just enjoyed watching her, on top of him, uninhibited, moaning. He found her the most enticing sight he had ever seen.

Soon he thrust harder into her. She spurred him on and leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

"Babe, I am so close, this feels so good, just a few more…"

"Me, too. Oh Cal, I need you to cum now!" Eric barley got those few words out when he felt her walls tightening around his shaft. Calleigh screamed his name when she reached her second orgasm that night.

That was his undoing, hearing his name called so passionately from her lips brought him over the edge. The moment before he came, when he felt her shaking violently was probably the most erotic experience of his life. He knew that he would remember that feeling, that closeness to her for the rest of his life.

He thrust into her one more time before he let himself go with her completely.

Both of them were panting, trying to catch their breath after that wonderful experience they just had shared.

She collapsed on top of him, incredibly satisfied and exhausted. He kissed her delicately and embraced her tightly. The just lay there like this until their heartbeats had slowed down again. Calleigh rolled herself off of him and he withdrew from her body to discard the used condom.

When he came back to her he took her into his arms again and they shared some sweet pillow talk between them before drifting of to sleep.

* * *

_So what do you think?_

_Well anyhow. Next chapter I'll start with the actual plot of my story. It should get pretty intense, at least I hope so…_


	4. Chapter 4

_Just to remind you what happened in the first chapter I decided posting the first paragraph again, __but also for continuity and timeline reasons. Have fun!! I'm really sorry for that reposting chaos. Won't happen again…_

* * *

_So they had finally done it. They had spent their first night together. Actually, if she thought about it rationally, it had been long overdue. She lay beside him, in his bed and couldn't help but fell completely content. For the first time in months or maybe even it years, she felt free and light. A smile crossed her face, when he turned around, now facing her and murmured something unintelligible in his sleep. He was only semi-awake but tried nonetheless to pull her closer to him. She responded immediately when she felt his hand on her lower back, she shifted closer to him and brought her hand to his cheek. With her fingers she lightly stroked his face, with her thumb she traced the outer lines of his lower lip. He sighed contently, still not reacting consciously. _

"_This was not just a dream," he whispered sleepily. _

"_No," she responded softly, "I'm here, we're here. Together." She leaned in closer to delicately kiss his lips. _

_It was not even dawning yet, but she felt awake and well rested after only a couple of hours of sleep._

* * *

"Calleigh," he murmured," I just love your tattoo." Eric had discovered that Calleigh had a small black and gray lily inked right next to her left hipbone. Though there were some rumors about her having a tattoo a few years ago, nobody had known any details. Eric stroked it lovingly and smiled coyly. He leaned in to drop a small kiss right on her adorned skin. He felt a bit privileged that he actually it to see it. Calleigh just grinned at him, loving his reaction.

They spent their free morning making love exquisitely slow in the bed. It felt incredibly intimate to see and feel each other in the early hours of the new day. After that they had dosed of again for about an hour. When they finally woke up again, Eric offered to prepare breakfast. Calleigh decided to take a shower while he was busy making pancakes and bacon.

Calleigh was actually on call but hoped that it would be a quiet day and that she did not have to come into work that day usually she did not mind dropping by the lab or a crime scene, even in her free time, but today was different, today she longed to be a woman and not a CSI.

She came out of the shower, hair still wet. Towel around her body, she approached Eric from behind. She stood on her tiptoes, pressed a kiss to his cheek and then sneaked a piece of bacon from the nearby frying pan.

"Hey", he called out to her, "the food will be ready any second now." He turned around, pressed her between the fridge and his body and took the remaining piece of food from her hand and ate it himself.

"Meanie", she teased, pushing aimlessly against his chest. He was not very impressed by her strength but instead he closed into her even more, kissing her roughly. She responded eagerly.

"Eric… the pancakes", she managed to stammer between kisses. He let go of her reluctantly and turned around to save what had not been burned of their meal.

After breakfast, which had been surprisingly good despite of the casualties, they spent the day together. The went for a walk on the beach, grabbed some food in one of the small sandwich shops Miami had to offer by the dozen and returned to his place later in the afternoon to focus on the physical aspect of their newfound bond. Luck seemed to be on their side for the remainder of the weekend. They were able to relax and enjoy each others company for the whole time without her being called to work once. Being together was easy and pleasant.

* * *

They had been friends for ages, they knew each others quirks and respected them, Eric was aware of Calleigh's need for control and did not mind a bit to let her have that control. He knew that things had not completely changed and he also knew that Calleigh would remain true to herself, being very determined about what rules she had set for herself and also staying a very private person, but still. She had opened up to him, regarding her feelings towards him and also being able to relax when they were alone together.

The first ten days of them being together had passed in what seemed only a second, they went to work, met at either ones places afterwards, had dinner together, went out, sometimes he would cook for her, at other times it was the other way around. They spent their nights together. They couldn't seem to get enough of each other. Both of them had never been in a relationship before were they had the constant need to be with their partner all the time. Both of them had known how to remain distant to their previous lovers, had not accepted them in their everyday life. Eric had preferred casual dating; Calleigh had kept her previous partners at arms length. Now they had thrown themselves fully into this bond.

As soon as they had started their liaison their usual behaviour in an affair did not apply to them anymore. They did not even talk about it, they just knew. It was rather taken for granted that they wanted and needed to be with each other as often as possible. In the shortest amount of time both had left clothes at the others apartment, keys were exchanged and their lives had started to mingle in less than two weeks. They both felt comfortable with that, after all they knew each other very well, better than anyone else. Despite of their previous experiences, despite of their personalities, they did not think twice about rushing into that relationship…

* * *

That was why Eric was surprised and concerned when Calleigh told him one day, before lunch that she had an appointment and wouldn't be able to make it tonight and that it might be more convenient to not spend the evening together. She had delivered her little speech coldly and had remained her distance. He instantly got the felling that something was wrong. He wanted to know what was going on and started questioning her carefully. He was fully aware of the fact that, though their relationship had changed, Calleigh did not like to be pushed. She still remained to be a very private person, sure she had opened up to him quite a lot but she was still Calleigh, things had to happen at her pace, otherwise she got insecure and put up her walls. After the past days, he had hoped she had shrugged that behaviour off but when he thought about it some more it would have been unrealistic for her to completely change, although he had gotten that impression. He could just hope that with the impression he got from her over those days, she would eventually let him in.

When he had asked her what kind of appointment and if she was okay, she had just shrugged it off dismissively and told him she needed to hurry because she was already late and had run off. He had remained at work until almost everybody else had left, hoping that she would drop by during the afternoon but she had remained absent. Finally H had sent him home and Eric had had no other choice than leaving, returning to his empty place. He switched on the TV, his thoughts not on the program but on the woman that had disappointed him, by falling into her old pattern, again.

His worries increased. He called her cell phone twice, disconnecting the call before he could hear the dial tone. He did not want her to feel pressured or controlled by him. He still hoped she would come around eventually on her own and would tell him what was wrong.

He stayed in front of the TV although he was exhausted, it ad been a very long day but he did not want to go to bed yet, at least the show that was on now offered some distraction. He wondered if he was overreacting, nothing had really happened yet but he was quite sure something big and dreadful was approaching. He wondered when he had become so paranoid and pathetic. When he finally decided to turn in for the night, the doorbell rang.

He looked at the clock, wondering who would be visiting him at almost midnight.

When he answered the intercom he hoped it was her but he was still surprised to hear Calleigh's voice, because she had adapted so soon to using the key he had given her. He buzzed her in and waited for her at his door.

"Why didn't you use your key? I thought you said you weren't coming over today?" He questioned her. "Calleigh? Are you alright?"

She shook her head and went past him into the living room. There she remained standing.

"I don't know. I just…. I needed to think and I was not sure if I was able to talk about it yet. But I just can't not tell you. Oh Eric, everything is so messed up. I thought everything would be good now, I mean with us. I really wanted this to work and I swear I did not know, I mean I guess I kind of suspected but I simply did not believe it was possible, that this happened…"

He just looked at her for a moment. He had never been more confused in his life. She stood there before him distraught and flustered, rambling nonsense, at least it was nonsense to him, so far.

"Cal, what is up with you? Why are you so upset? I'm sorry but I did not understand a word of what you were saying:"

She paused a minute, took a deep breath and decided that she would tell him. Straight out, no excuses no procrastinations.

"I am pregnant. I took a test this morning and then had it confirmed by my doctor, who could squeeze me in, this afternoon."

"Pregnant? But how, I mean it hasn't even been two weeks. How could you know, I mean I know those tests are fast but not that fast…?" He questioned her. Then there was silence, it felt like hours. When he looked her in the face it suddenly dawned to him.

"Oh it's no mine, is it?" The disappointment was obvious in his tone.

"I am about seven weeks along. I didn't know, I swear, I just found out today. I mean I knew I was feeling kind of weird lately but I honestly did not suspect anything until today. You see, I was about to get on the pill again, because of us and then I suddenly realized that….so I took this test and…"

"I don't know what to say, I mean this is really big, I would have never expected something like that. Listen Calleigh I think I need some time to process this, alone. And I am sure you also need some time to think and… I am sorry but just give me some time, okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, sure," she mumbled, she did not hide her disappointment towards his reluctant attitude. "I had just hoped we could talk, I mean I did not expect you to be happy about it but maybe we can just discuss this. I don't even know what I want or what to think…Eric just a few days ago, you told me that you'll be there for me, no matter what."

"I promise, we will talk about it but not now, please?" He begged her, though her last sentence had hit close to the bone.

* * *

Calleigh could feel tears coming to her eyes, she hastily blinked them away and turned to leave, she did not want him to see her like this. She mumbled a choked 'goodbye' and left quickly.

As soon as she had reached the car, she let her tears fall freely. She scolded herself for being so weak; she was irritated with herself because she had just dropped the bomb on him spontaneously without having thought what to say. Even worse she had told him before she had really understood what was going on. Now it came all crashing down on her. She was pregnant with her ex-boyfriends baby and the man she loved had not reacted very pleasantly. He had shut her out.

Calming down slowly, she started the engine and drove home.

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_Okay, so next chapter more drama!!__ I guess it is going to be one of those his perspective, her perspective thingies. I can promise you some angsty stuff._

_BTW please review. I'd really love to hear what you think about that part, since this is going to be the basis on which I am going to develop the plot…_


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter five: New and improved, since I do have a beta-reader now. Enjoy, and please let me know what you think._

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When she arrived back at her place she was not even able to remove her clothes before she collapsed onto her bed. She was physically and emotionally exhausted. She did not know what kind of a reaction she had expected from Eric, but she was fairly certain at this point that anything would have been better to bear than having him shut her out.

Now she just lay on her bed, tears streaming down her face, wondering what the hell she had done wrong to be in a situation like this. She tried to remember how it could even have happened, how she could have allowed herself to get pregnant, because she was always careful, but soon she came to the conclusion that it did not really matter anymore.

The next thing that came to her mind was Jake; he was gone and she was absolutely certain that he would not be too thrilled about the pregnancy, which he would no doubt hear about after his return. There was also no way that she would get back together anymore. Playing family for a few months, before they would start hating each other was not an option - in the end they would carry their troubles out on an innocent child.

So far Calleigh had not allowed herself of thinking of the pregnancy actually resulting in having a baby. But know that she was all alone she was not able to distract herself anymore. She was seven weeks pregnant, there would be enough time to make decisions but she had no clue were to start.

She had never imagined herself as a mother. And she did not even know if she liked children; almost none of her friends had kids and those that did she rarely got to see anymore. Their lives had just drifted apart. She had always focused on her career; they had moved to the suburbs.

Sure, she had nieces, but her brother was divorced and his ex-wife had taken the children to Canada. It wasn't like she saw them regularly. Or her brother, for that matter. Any of her family, actually – she has no idea what her other brothers were up to.

As the thoughts continued to pound through her brain, she found herself asking more and more questions, none that she had any concrete answers to. Would she be able to raise a child and keep her job? Probably, yes, but she would no longer be able to dedicate herself to her work in the way she did now.

She would have to make so many sacrifices, which did not bother her so much when she thought realistically about it. Her biggest fear was screwing her innocent child up. She did not have the happiest childhood, and still blamed her parents for her insufficiencies. True, she knew that she had overcome a lot since moving out of her childhood home, but she did blame her parents that she still had trouble trusting people. And her adult life had not diminished her emotional distance towards her friends or lovers, either; Eric had been the first one to break through that barrier. Eric. Her thoughts drifted back to him, to the look on his face that she could not interpret. Had he been angry, or jealous? Disappointed, or shocked, or even scared off? Maybe it had been a mixture of all of these emotions.

After having tossed and turned she went into the bathroom to take a shower maybe that would help her to fall asleep. When she entered the bathroom, she switched on the lights and took her clothes off. She stood in front of the mirror, watching her reflection. Turning sideward she was able to take a better look at her belly, but she could not detect anything yet. Sighing, she went into the shower stall, letting the water run down over her.

* * *

Eric sat in front of the TV, though he was barley paying attention to whatever show he was pretending to watch; he was too preoccupied with what Calleigh had just told him to concentrate on anything else. How was he supposed to react? He needed to think, as he had told her, though he did not have the slightest idea where to begin.

Realizing that trying to distract himself was not working, he decided to finally go to bed, thinking that perhaps he would be able to come to a decision upon something in the morning.

At night, he tossed and turned; he found a few hours of sleep but woke up way too soon. He went through his usual morning routine and showed up at work early, very early.

All day long he succeeded in not running into Calleigh. He even succeeded in not having more contact than necessary to everybody else. He felt like a coward because he had promised her he would talk to her, but he just could not face her yet. Besides, he still did not know what to say to her.

Later that day he called his cousin, deciding he needed to go out tonight, maybe, get a bit drunk. His cousin, Jaime, always knew which club to go to. He loved to party and had recently complained to Eric had lost his sense of fun. When Eric had hinted that he was in a steady relationship, Jaime had been truly shocked. But that had only been momentarily, for he soon began to joke that his cousin was well and truly 'whipped'

Eric had immediately regretted telling the news, because not even an hour later he had gotten a call from his mom, who was bursting with excitement that her prayers had finally been answered and her boy had finally found 'the one'. When Eric had told her, after some grilling that he was dating Calleigh, his mom had been even more overjoyed. She had not yet met the young woman but as her son mentioned her regularly; she had informed him that she knew everything would turn out just fine.

After agreeing to meet Jaime at a club that was supposed to be this week's hotspot, Eric finished up and left work on time, without having seen Calleigh once.

* * *

Calleigh did not spend the night much better than Eric. She was used to sleepless nights, but this was sheer torture. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Eric's face and his confused, hurt expression.

Already feeling guilty as soon as she picked up the phone, she told Horatio that she was not well. Naturally, he was very understanding, telling her that if she needed a couple of days off it would not be a problem – which only served to make her feel even worse about lying to him in the first place, so she vowed to ensure that she was there first thing the next day. Calleigh stayed in bed all morning which did not do her any good. When she finally got up, every part of her body was aching.

She really needed to deal with the situation, Calleigh scolded herself over breakfast - not that she had managed to eat anything. Unenthusiastically, she drew her spoon through the bowl of cereal in front of her, being all of a sudden totally grossed out by the smell of the milk; she took the bowl and threw its contents into the sink and poured herself another cup of coffee.

She thought about her possibilities, how many did she really have? She knew that there were only two for her: keeping the baby, or not…

She did not even want to think about that second option. In college, more than one of her friends had taken the step and had gone through the hardship of an abortion. During that time she had been convinced that it would be the end of their lives to have a child, and had understood the choice. But now, in her situation… she was an adult and not a college kid; she had a stable job, and she would manage somehow. She was fully aware that there were many reasons why women made that decision, but none applied to her. And could she even live with that decision? Should she make an appointment to get advice? Would she be able to live with herself after such an intervention? She put her hand on her belly and instantly knew that, no she could not –no, never- get an abortion.

But would she be able to raise a kid on her own? Could she actually be a mother? She thought back to when she and Eric had worked on a case where they had briefly spoken about raising kids and having a family, and she remembered being very delighted to hear that he wanted children, even though they had not been together at that time. It had been Jake that she was with then, with whom she had never even touched upon the subject.

But, now she was pregnant with a man's child who did not have the faintest desire to found a family, and the man who wished to have a family was slipping away from her.

Still, her decision was final. She would keep the baby; she would be a mother and raise her child, even if it meant being on her own.

* * *

Eric was drunk. They had barley been at the bar for an hour and he was hammered already. Jaime was pissed off - not because of Eric's drinking, but rather at his behavior in general. Eric was in a bad mood when they had met and his disposition had deteriorated ever since. He had driven away every girl that had come within a three feet range of them.

When he had asked him what was wrong, Eric had just growled at him. But Jaime tried again, even going so far to ask Eric about his girlfriend but, that just made matters just worse. Instead Eric ordered another drink and continued sulking. Jaime soon had enough and took off for awhile thinking that maybe Eric just needed a couple of minutes to himself. The two cousins had always gotten along very well; since both had grown up with sisters, they were close like brothers. Jaime was fairly certain that Eric would tell him what was wrong sooner or later. And, if not, he still had a back-up plan.

When Jaime came back half an hour later, the situation had not changed much. He convinced Eric to go home because the evening was not getting better and he ordered a cab and instructed the driver to go to Eric's place first, then to his. It was in the cab, when Eric finally decided to talk.

He tried to tell Jaime what had happened with Calleigh, but, due to his intoxication, he did not make himself clear. When Jaime inquired again, Eric became increasingly frustrated. The only thing that his cousin learned that night was something about Eric's girlfriend being pregnant from another guy. But he still did not really understand it, since Eric contradicted him vehemently when he asked him if she had cheated.

When the cab made its first stop, Jaime helped Eric to his front door and decided to go with 'plan B' since he had no idea what to make of his cousin's revelation. Another reason was that he felt someone else would be better suited to help him with these kinds of problems. So he checked his watch, and then decided to make the call first thing in the morning.


	6. Chapter 6

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_Thank you so much for your reviews. Thanks to my wonderful beat..._

_Enjoy!_

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"Man, you look like shit!" Ryan's words could not have been truer, although his phrasing was quite harsh.

In response, Eric only grunted, clearly annoyed. His hangover was not better after the three cups of coffee and some aspirin he had taken this morning. Yesterday night had sucked, officially.

"Do you, by any chance, know if Calleigh is back today?" Ryan asked.

"Huh?" Eric wrinkled his forehead. "What do you mean?"

"Man, you are really behind, and I thought you were just partying too hard, seems like you aren't quite on top of it anymore… Calleigh called in sick yesterday. I thought you knew what was wrong with her. After all, aren't you guys best friends? And you don't know about it? What's wrong, Eric? New chick, screwing with your head, or maybe not your head…" Sometimes, Ryan did not know when to keep it quiet.

"You know what Ryan, why don't you just shut up for once?" Eric replied angrily; Ryan's news was making him really agitated, and he stalked off in a hurry.

Still fuming, Eric had no clue where to go to, since confronting Calleigh was still out of the question. When he returned to the lab, he tried in vain to focus on his work. Trying to fight off a major headache that probably wasn't caused by the alcohol only, but also by worrying about a certain blonde, he resumed brooding.

Deep down, he sincerely hoped that she was fine; but how could she be fine with all the stuff that was going on? Eric had the feeling that he was slowly going crazy; he needed to get out of the lab, everything was spinning.

Almost running towards the exit, the inevitable happened; he bumped straight into Calleigh.

"Hey, sorry," he choked out.

"Yeah, sorry," her voice sounded small.

They looked at each other.

"Cal, how are you? Ryan said that you called in sick yesterday. Are you okay? Is the… is the baby alright?" To her delight, Eric was truly concerned about her well-being; he was worried and needed to know that she was alright.

"Eric, I am fine. I just needed to be alone for a while," Calleigh started.

"I was so worried when Ryan told me. I was scared that something had happened," he said.

Biting her lower lip, Calleigh was touched that he was worried about her. "Eric can we…"

"I'm sorry but I need to go. I just haven't had enough time to think about it, yet. Everything is so complicated. Just give me a few more days. Calleigh, this is really big and I don't want to make a rushed, unconsidered decision. I am so sorry for leaving you high and dry, but I need to think about all of this clearly. You are too important to me to deal with this in an inadequate way." With these words that came out a lot more inconsiderate than intended, he interrupted her.

Blankly, she stared at him. "You know, you do not have to make any decisions for me. Eric, if you don't want this, you don't have to... I don't demand anything from you. I just wanted you to be there for me, as a friend."

"I want to be there for you, Cal." he started, but Calleigh had already turned away from him. She was disappointed and upset; she could not deal with him right now. Too busy with trying to swallow her tears, she turned back to her lab. Not feeling better than her, he berated himself for being so insensitive. His intentions had actually been to show her support but he had failed miserably, by being an egoistical ass.

* * *

The day progressed slowly. They did not see each other anymore, which was no wonder, since he was getting really good at avoided her, sending Ryan to get the results of the current case and hiding in the lab once again.

The next three days passed almost exactly like that particular one. Only that Calleigh also made an effort to avoid him now.

When he came home a few days after he had last had that awkward conversation with Calleigh, he took a quick shower and started unfreezing some leftovers his mother had given him a couple of weeks ago.

Suddenly the doorbell chimed. As soon as he answered the intercom, his sister Isabella demanded to be buzzed in. When he opened the door for her he was greeted by a flood of accusations.

"Eric, what is wrong with you: what did you do? Why did we have to find out from Jaime, and why didn't you tell us?" she almost shouted.

Eric was quiet, trying to find out what she knew and what she had to say. He had learned early on not to interrupt his sister when she was in a rage. So Jaime had called the real forces… well, he should have thought about that earlier.

"So, you got your girlfriend pregnant and you just left her. Going out to get drunk! You, of all people! Eric, what is wrong with you? You have a responsibility here," his sister continued to rant.

"What? Izza, stop! What are you talking about?" Desperately, Eric tried to get in a word.

Isabella sat down exasperated. She knew she had to tell him what she had found out and let him explain. But, as usual, her temper had gotten in the way. Eric and she had not always been really close; there had been quite some age difference between them. She and their eldest sister, Carmen had been more of his and Mari's babysitters than their playmates. They had always loved and respected each other, but they did not have anything in common as kids. But ever since Mari had died, the two of them had grown closer. Fortunately for him, Eric knew he could always count on his older sister and he knew how important family was.

"Jaime called this morning. He apologized for not immediately telling me and started skirting around the issue. Eric, our dear cousin said that you were acting strangely and told him something about your girlfriend being pregnant. Jaime was worried and told us he couldn't get through to you and that he wanted me to try. Eric, what happened? Mom told me a few weeks ago that you were seeing your colleague and she sounded really happy about that. She said that you finally found the right girl and she kind of made plans to invite the two of you for the next family dinner already… but then Jaime called and honestly, I did not believe him. Eric, did you really leave your pregnant girlfriend?"

Burying his face in his hands, Eric sighed dramatically; who would have thought things would turn out like this? His head was spinning; not only did he not know what to say towards Calleigh, now he also had to justify himself towards his family.

"I did not," he whispered. "Oh, Izza, everything is so messed up. I just don't know what to do and I think I really hurt her. I promised to be there for her and I failed her."

"Eric! Please tell me. What happened?" Isabella was growing increasingly concerned now. Eric had always had such a friendly, easy-going nature. In the last few years he had become more serious and grown up, due to all those tragic events, but he had still remained good-natured.

And then he started talking, about how happy he had been when Calleigh finally had showed up at his door, when she had told him she loved him. When he recounted those few weeks they had had, his sister truly believed him when he told her how happy they had been. Eric had tears in his eyes when he finally told his sister about how Calleigh had shown up the day before yesterday to tell him about the pregnancy. Isabella was stunned about what her brother told her, but she was not shocked because of the events themselves, more at the cruelty of fate and because of his intense reaction. From what Eric had told her, Calleigh seemed to be a wonderful woman who truly loved him. Judging by what she had just heard, she came to the conclusion that Calleigh seemed to be truly surprised by the events, but also very confused and hurt.

"Oh, Eric, That poor girl!" Isabella started. "Can you imagine what she is going through? I just hope…"

"What?" Sensing his sister's agitation, Eric became alarmed.

"Well, a situation like that can be easily too much for a woman. She probably never thought about having a child with that guy. Eric, I _know_ the situation. When I was pregnant with Dylan, my marriage with Michael was already in ruins. I knew it wouldn't last. And I was right. My husband left me when my baby was only six months old. You should know better than most, Eric, you were there when everything broke apart and there I was. But you know, I was never alone with my little boy, you were there for me all the time, as were Mom and Dad and everybody else," Isabella remembered what had happened six years ago. She truly felt for Calleigh and felt sorry for the young woman who, according to Eric, did not have a family she could count on.

Eric swallowed hard; he had almost forgotten about those months when his sister had been miserable because that bastard had dumped her, claiming he was not father material and had taken off with some cocktail waitress.

When all of that had happened, he really had been there for his sister. Without hesitating, he had taken care of her and the baby and supported her unconditionally. Soon she had recovered from all of that and had taken her life into her own hands again. She had needed him then and he had been there for her.

"You know, I almost forgot about that time…" he told her sincerely.

"Well, I was lucky; I had all of you. And then Chris came along and he did not care that I was a single mom. He treats Dylan like his own kid. Sometimes I catch myself watching him with Dylan and with the girls. He treats him the same as Estella and Mya."

Eric thought about what his sister told him. His brother-in-law truly was a good man. He was the only father his nephew knew and those two really had hit it off from the start.

"But, Izza, this is different. I mean, Chris knew that you had a child when you guys started dating and…" Eric ran out of arguments.

"Well, that is pretty stupid, Eric. She didn't even know!" She replied harshly."Do you still love her?" She questioned.

"Yes."

"Does she want to get back together with her ex?" she continued.

"I don't think so…"

"Eric, what if you had known, or if she already had a child? Would that have been a hindrance to be with the woman that you claim to love?"

"It's not that easy!" he exclaimed

"I know, Eric. But after what I heard from you, you really owe her an explanation. You need to talk to her and tell her how you feel, even if you don't know how you feel. She deserves that you support her; you promised her that much. Eric, just listen to your heart. I know that you will make the right decision. But, please, just focus on her and let her also speak, okay?"

Hesitantly, he nodded.

"Eric, did she say something about if she wanted to… you know, did she make a comment that suggested she wouldn't keep the baby?"

Now Eric was stunned; he hadn't even though about that possibility. He felt a wave of panic. How could he have been so stupid and not considered that Calleigh might feel she wouldn't be able to have the child? His sister sensed his distress and tried to calm him down.

"Hey, I didn't say that she would just go and you know… you really didn't give her any chance to talk, did you?"

Now he just shook his head. He was feeling sick and the feeling of guilt was overwhelming.

Isabella stood up from the couch and took her brother into her arms. She whispered a couple of encouraging words into his ear and patted his back.

"I always knew that it wouldn't be easy for you, baby brother. But, if you guys love each other as much as I think, you will make up and find a way to deal with all that stuff. Eric, just don't panic. Don't demand anything from her that she is not able to give and let her be angry at you if she needs to be. Okay?"

"Thanks, Izza. Really. I think I needed that. I owe you."

"Oh, yes you do!" she exclaimed. "I will think of something. For example, babysitting on the last weekend in September. Chris and I are dying to get away for a few days to celebrate our anniversary…"

"You got it", he smiled.

"And now go and tell that girl that you love her and that you are sorry about being such an inconsiderate idiot." She gave him another hug and bid him goodbye, but not before reminding him to call her when he had talked to Calleigh. She also didn't fail to mention the family dinner that was supposed to take place in less than two weeks time.

Eric grabbed his car keys and left. Never before had he been so nervous, and he could only hope that Calleigh would listen to him and accept his apologies.

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_Please Review_


	7. Chapter 7

_Hey there, thank you so much for your reviews, I hope you'll keep them coming since this is my last chapter. I hope you enjoy it. _

_Thanks again to my beta reader, you have done a wonderful job_

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Nervously, he rang the door bell. He had just left his house without thinking. What was he going to say to her? How would she react?

Wearing short cotton pants and a long shirt, she opened the door. Although he came here for a reason, he couldn't help but risk a glimpse at her almost bare legs. She was surprised to see him standing at her door. Knowing Calleigh so well, he could see in her face that she was angry with him. Slowly counting to ten in her head, she still had to hold back, not to yell at him. Calleigh took a deep breath before she started talking.

"Eric, what are you doing here? Why are you here?" She did not hide the anger in her voice.

"Calleigh, I am sorry. I'm so sorry. May I come in, please? I really need to talk. I was such a jerk. Please let me explain. I need to talk to you about all of this,"he apologized. "Please". His last word was a mere whisper.

She was hesitant. He had hurt her that night and then again the following morning. Calleigh would have loved to retreat to her flat, her safe place. But deep down inside she knew that eventually she would have to give him the chance to explain or take position. The need to know what he thought was strong, even though she didn't want it to be. She struggled with herself but eventually decided to give him a chance, hoping he would use it wisely. But before she could ask him in he started talking again.

Eric asked her how she felt; he seemed truly concerned. But then, Eric had always been concerned about her, no matter the situation. To his credit, he had also always offered his help and comfort when she had been in difficult situations before. Then he started asking her why she was absent yesterday.

She answered a bit evasive. When he started questioning her health, she answered honestly; he knew her too well anyhow to lie to him. When she told him about the morning sickness that had just started, he was truly concerned. He would have loved to just take her into his arms. And tell her she would be fine. He longed for closeness but knew that it was too early; he just wanted one chance.

"Calleigh, just give me five minutes?" Putting on his best puppy dog look, he tried to convince her to give him a chance to explain; he didn't even do that on purpose, it was something he did subconsciously ever since he was a little boy.

"Okay, come in," she told him; not even knowing if she was willing to talk yet, but at least she was willing to listen. She looked at him closely, and noticed how tired and sad he looked. Although she was very aware of how this particular look could influence her, she still let it affect her, she knew it was genuine. Despite herself, it made her feel better. Not because he was suffering but rather because it made him seem honest.

* * *

He stepped into her living room; she grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge and joined him on the couch. Shifting his position a little, he remained silent for a moment, not really sure where to start.

"How do you feel?" he started.

"Eric, you just asked me that same question not even a minute ago. I'm doing okay." she responded softly.

"Good, good. What about the baby, I mean, is everything alright?" Eric didn't know how to put it. But Calleigh got his implication.

"Yes. Everything is alright. The doctor told me that everything looked good and gave me an appointment for an ultrasound in a few weeks. Listen, Eric, I am going to keep this baby. I am not really sure how to do all of this with work and things, but I decided to have this baby. I can do this on my own…"

"Of course you can. You are going to be a wonderful mother, Calleigh. I would never doubt that." He was relieved.

As so often; he could sense her worried about her abilities. She made the impression that she was scared and did not trust herself with her decision, yet. It was painfully obvious that she had doubts and he assumed that it had to do with her childhood; his guess was that she did not want to make the same mistakes her parents had made. She wrinkled her forehead with worry, a look he'd attributed the name, 'brooding Calleigh', to.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to be a good mother. I just hope I will know what to do when the times comes."

"Calleigh, you are the most caring and wonderful person I know. You will do great. This is going to be one lucky kid."

"Thank you, Eric. You know, I thought about this, I really did. And I am very sure about my decision to keep my baby, but I am still unsure about how to really do this. I mean, I was quite panicked about the thought of having a child. I still am very nervous, and I honestly also thought about not having it, but I know I couldn't do that," she admitted; the nervousness still evident in her voice.

He laid his hand on hers, gently squeezing her hand, waiting for her reaction. With Calleigh it had always been like that, him having to wait for her reaction, before he proceeded with showing her his affections. When she didn't pull away, he continued holding her hand and started voicing his fears, concerning her doubts and not her abilities.

"Oh Calleigh, I am really worried, of course you are anxious and nervous. I mean this really changes a lot. Just trust in yourself, please. You are warm and considerate; you are responsible and have so much to offer. You'll see this'll work out for you and your baby. Don't let your doubts keep you from being the person you are. Cal, you are not your mother or father," he continued, having already sensed where her lack of self-confidence came from. "Just because they failed you and your siblings doesn't mean that you will make the same mistakes. And, Calleigh, I promise, I will be there for you. In any way you want me to. My feelings for you have not changed, the situation has but…I still love you."

"You know, you just can't do that, Eric! You can't just come here and tell me that!" she replied angrily. Actually, she didn't even know why she was angry at him; he had told her exactly what she needed to hear. He knew her so well and he was being honest. Maybe that was the real reason, maybe she was afraid that he knew her that well. "Eric, I don't just need you in the good times; I need to know that I can count on you. I have always trusted you; please tell me I can still do."

"You can still trust me. That is why I am here with you. I am going to do everything to show you that you can." He was sad and a bit disappointed in himself but also a bit in her, because he needed to know that she would at least forgive him. He knew he had to go all out, had to lay his heart on his sleeve.

"Cal, I love you, and if you still want me I'll be there, for you and the baby. I know we can make it work, I hope you do to."

"I just don't know." Betraying her words she searched his closeness. He reacted immediately taking her into his arms when he felt her getting closer. He tenderly scooped her into his embrace drawing his arms around her. He whispered soft words into her ears: words of love and apology.

"What do you think?" Still fearing a negative reaction, he dared to ask her.

"I think that I overreacted. I know that I can still trust you, and that your reaction didn't have anything to do with your feelings for me. I was just so disappointed, but maybe I just expected too much. Eric, you mean so much to me, you've never disappointed me before."

"Calleigh, do you still love me?" His voice was raspy.

"Yes, I do." These words were spoken softly, but she left no doubt she felt what she just admitted. "Eric, can you be there for me and the baby? I mean, this is not going to be easy."

"Cal, it would be my pleasure. I know that we need to talk about things, about how we are going to handle the situation and stuff."

"You know this'll change things, everything."

"Baby, I am looking forward to it."

Eric hugged her closer; they sat on the couch for a long time just holding on to each other. Both were happy, but still a bit unsure about what the future would bring and how they would be able to handle it. Maybe it was okay that not everything could be planned. Calleigh usually loved to make lists and plans, but she knew that a child wouldn't react accordingly to her impeccable planned life style. She was willing to accept the challenge. After all, Rome wasn't built in one day…

"I want to spend more time with you. As your friend, as your confidant and as more if you let me…" Eric interrupted the silence.

"Well, I'd say that's mutual," she said, cautiously tilting her head, looking him in the eyes.

"Really?"

"You know that, Eric", she said in a calm voice. "You should know that," she added in a low whisper.

"Cal, I won't pressure you, okay. We'll do everything at our pace, see what feels right and comfortable, and take one day at a time."

"That sounds good," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady. She was incredibly touched by his concerns.

"I want to do this right."

"You are."

"I am?"

"Yes."

Softly, he touched his lips to hers and they started kissing. When she felt his tongue demanding for entrance, she let out a low moan; finally, she granted him access and let him distract her from all of her worries. Carefully, very carefully Eric started letting his hands find Calleigh's abdomen. He didn't want to startle her, so he drew soft circles with his fingers to her tummy. Calleigh giggled lightly when she realized what he was about to do. When he felt her chuckle, he looked at her, eyes silently asking for permission. She nodded slightly, again biting her lower lip out of a nervous habit. _How would he react to her changing body?_ She wondered. Not that there was much change, yet, but, eventually, she would start showing.

Slowly, he lifted her shirt and let only his fingers touch the soft skin of her abdomen.

"How does it feel?" he wondered aloud.

"Your fingers tickle," she replied amused by his awe.

He smirked at her humour: "I didn't mean that, Calleigh. I meant the baby!"

"I don't feel it yet, I mean I feel that my body is changing somehow, but nothing specific, maybe I am just imagining things… The doctor said that it would take a few more weeks until I felt the baby move. But I can't wait." Calleigh's reply revealed her excitement. When he saw her smile, he knew that his worries about her would be unnecessary soon. Calleigh would struggle with motherhood, but not more than any other concerned mother-to-be. His earlier words revealed their true character: Calleigh would be fine in her new role. She would be a wonderful mother.

* * *

They continued kissing, and he let his hands travel boldly around her exposed skin. When she shifted in his arms he reacted immediately.

"Cal, if you want we can take things slow."

"I don't actually want to go back to, well, before…."

"That is not what I meant. I mean, we don't need to rush things, well you know in…"

"Eric, is it weird for you to think about having sex with me in this condition? Because I think I would understand. I mean, honestly, I was hoping it wouldn't be an issue, but still this might be a bit strange…"

"No, it's not that, I swear. Calleigh, I really, really want to touch you and make love with you, I just thought that you might not feel comfortable with it."

"Well, I guess we just need to try it out."

Pulling her face closer to his, he couldn't help to become completely overwhelmed. His eyes were drawn to her mouth; the desire to kiss her was agonizing, but he withstood it for an instant to look at her. Finally, he kissed her lightly on the lips, feeling her respond he intensified the kiss.

"I missed you so much," he murmured in her ear.

Her breath hitched, Calleigh closed her eyes, and she brought her hand to the back of his neck, rubbing tenderly at his warm skin. "I missed you, too," she whispered, and fidgeted a bit in his embrace. Those few days had seemed like endless weeks without him, without his comfort, without his closeness. They had longed for each other, and now that she could feel his breath on her skin, and the heat from his body she calmed down for the first time since she had gotten the news.

"I was so lonely, without you" he whispered hoarsely, sending shivers down her spine. She was taken back by his words; that very moment, she could feel what he meant, his pain and desperation. She was a bit scared of his truthfulness but the urge to take his pain away was stronger.

Standing up, she pulled him off the couch with her, and motioned him to follow her into the bedroom. Without hesitation, he quickly slipped his shoes off and caught up with her, looping his arms around her from behind.

They slowly undressed. He laid her down on the bed and they made love, slowly. Their love-making didn't lack any passion, although it was not as rushed or desperate as it had been before.

Later, she scooted closer to him when she noticed that he had gotten settled on his back and cuddled him tightly, her head resting on his shoulder and one of her hands on his chest. Eric smiled and put one arm around her neck as his other hand came to rest on her lower back.

* * *

He woke up earlier than her, and as he watched her sleep, Eric couldn't believe his luck; she had forgiven him, taken him back. The woman he loved lay spooned in his arms, sleeping comfortably. He had to swallow hard not to let his tears of alleviation fall; he was happy and relieved.

Although he should know better, he couldn't help but touch her, he did not want to wake her but the urge to run his fingers through her hair was just stronger.

When she felt his fingers on in hair, she was certain he was awake She shifted in his embrace and opened her eyes, meeting his. They just lay there, staring at each other. He softly stroked her face, leaning forward to kiss her.

Morning, beautiful," he smiled, peering into her sea green eyes, touching his forehead to hers. "This is a pretty nice way to wake up."

"Yeah," Calleigh agreed, shoving the last doubts away, as she snuggled closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"I love you, Eric," she beamed with joy.

"I love you, too," he replied, his face mirroring her joy; he couldn't help but looking forward to their future. Having her so close in his arms, he knew they would make it through, whatever life had in store for them. "

* * *

_I am ending my story here, since I feel Calleigh and Eric have arrived at a nice point. I might be inclined to write a sequel, since there is still so much to say about Jake and work and the baby and... but I might need some persuasion from you guys..._


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